Fractions with Moby Lesson Plan: What Are Fractions and How Are They Used?
Submitted by: Samantha Lewis
In this lesson plan, which is adaptable for grades K-3, students use BrainPOP Jr. resources to learn what fractions are and how they are used. Students also use hands-on materials to explore fraction amounts in a cooperative learning activity.
Students will:
- Learn what a fraction is.
- Learn how fractions are used.
Materials:
- Access to BrainPOP Jr.
- Paper
- Printouts of the Write About It activity from BrainPOP Jr.
- Pencils
- Cut out, flattened circles of Play Dough or clay
- Individual dry erase boards
- Colored counters
Vocabulary:
Preparation:
Preview the Basic Parts of a Whole movie, print the Write About It worksheet and make copies for the whole class. Print the activity page worksheet and make copies. Buy a box of cookies for use in fraction project.Lesson Procedure:
- Share the Belly Up comic with your class to spark their interest in the topic of fractions.
- Show the BrainPOP Jr. Basic Parts of a Whole movie, pausing as Annie asks new questions throughout the movie, so students have a chance to discuss the question and what they may or may not already know about this topic (also a good time to have students work on their note taking skills.)
- Break the class into groups of 2 and have them take the Hard Quiz together.
- After taking the quiz, explain to the students that you will now be doing a project using cookies to learn more about how fractions can apply to everyday life.
- Give each student in the class a cookie.
- Write a fraction on the board, one at a time, (start with 1/2, then 1/3, 2/3, etc.) and have your students break the cookies into the fractions you show them. Check their work as they go to make sure the fractions are correct.
- For extra practice, have your students use colored counters and white boards to practice making different fractions with a partner.
- Have the first partner choose how many red and how many yellow counters there will be. Then, have them ask, "What fraction of the group is red/yellow?"
- Then the second partner will put the counters on their board and write the fraction correctly. Have the partners switch jobs and compare their answers.
- Have the students think about the fractions around them in a real life setting. Ask students, "Where do we see fractions in the classroom?" or "Where do we see fractions when we're at home?"
- Have students write about what they learned about fractions on printed copies of the Write About It activity, or have them type directly into the form and print it.